Obituary of Shelly Suzanne Heald Kaplan

Shelly Suzanne Heald Kaplan passed away on May 15, 2019 in Austin Texas from the effects of her long battle with bipolar disorder and alcohol addiction.  While these diseases were merciless, her life was marked by brilliance, and drive and humor and light. She was known to her friends as “Shazaam”, a fitting name that we all adopted.  

Suzanne was born on September 11, 1978 in Abilene, TX.  She graduated from Southwest High School in Ft Worth, the University of Texas in Austin, and the University of California-Davis, King Hall School of Law with her Doctor of Jurisprudence degree.  She was a marathon runner and she founded a non-profit to benefit the homeless while living in San Diego. Suzanne practiced law in California and Texas.

Those left behind to love her forever are her daughters, Aurelia A. Kaplan (9) and Vivianna H. Kaplan (7) of Austin; her parents, Melissa Millard, of Cooper and Jerry Heald and wife Becky of Odessa; her sisters, Jeri Lynn Heald Ingram and husband Ian, and  Whitney Heald, all of Austin; her niece Koruna Ingram and nephew Marvel Ingram; her grandmothers, Dorothy Millard of Cooper and Ruby Heald of Odessa; and her aunts and uncles and cousins who supported her with much love. She is also survived by the father of her children, Jonathan Kaplan of Austin. She was predeceased by her grandfathers Leo Millard and L.O. Heald and her dear cousin Emily Ray Nardo.

Private graveside services will be held at Oaklawn Cemetery, Cooper TX under the direction of Delta Funeral Home.

Suzanne’s family’s hopes are that we remember to be kind, because everyone we meet is fighting a battle we may know nothing about.